Captain Zee wroteColonAnd what's the story with radar in this game? I've heard the actors in the PC version yelling about "enemies sighted on radar, captain!" Wasn't radar not invented until the middle of WWII?

The RAF had an operational radar early warning system in place by the start of the Battle of Britain, but the technology was being experimented with in the 1930s.

I think it is conceivable that some of the developed nations might have functioning prototypes in the alternate '37, but the thing to consider is that early radar was used to spot incoming squadrons of aircraft, in an otherwise clear sky. In the CS universe you'd have a lot more air traffic, so while you could see incoming air craft you'd have no way of identifying them (beyond size) without visual confirmation.

The other thing to remember is that originally you didn't have the circular screen with the line sweeping around and dots for each aircraft.

Radar kinda cramps the pirates' style methinks. A zeppelin is... oh yeah, that's right. A several hundred meter long thing made of freaking aluminum. How on earth are the pirates supposed to sneak up on anyone in that if they have radar?

Until more recent times, radar was at the mercy of the weather. Thermal inversions, windshear, humid winds, rain or just plain dense clouds could often obscure or hide aircraft or could even produce false or dislocated returns. Any game mechanic regarding the use of radar would have to allow strong chances for failure to detect or producing false or dislocated returns.

Scene: Storm front to the west with a strong thermal inversion, enemy approaching from the north. Radar returns reflecting from the storm pick up echoes of the flight to the north, radar reads TWO flights coming in, one west and one north.

OR

Bad guys flying in from the west coming out of the storm remain unseen until they clear the front and even then they might only be seen in dislocation (Warmer humid weather to the south!). . . Meanwhile clouds to the east look like an invading fleet of Zeps!

Radar pretty much sucked all the way up into the 60s and 70s, often making the situation much more confusing than it needed to be. Observers using the good old model Mk I Eyeball will always be the ultimate resource. Obviously I am pointing out worst case scenarios, much of the time it WILL work right and it's real advantage can be seen at night when eyeballs won't work!

Also you can try to fly below the radar (NOE or Nap-of-the-Earth) which would also fit the CS feeling quite well, as all fights seem to take place between deadly obstacles and not above them.And apart from just being developed, the first radar prototypes were real big, even too big for Zeps to carry. E.g. the stationary "Freya" radar was pretty much functional in early 1937 but only delivered to the navy in 1938.I think they might be a unique encounter in more advanced CS states but not a common sight in every town. But that's one thing I liked about the PC game: It introduced new technology as part of the storyline, but it also had a pulpy "Mad Scientist" feel about it.Don't know how you handle it, but I usually do not advance the timeline in any given setting too much (one reason why I still play Battletech in the 3025 era without all the fancy Clan-equipment).